Gerrald Edward Crotty
Military ROLL OF HONOURGerrald Crotty was Nose Gunner on B-24 #42-95240 on a supply mission to aid the 17th US Airborne during Operation Varsity on 24 March 1945 (American and British forces crossing the Rhine). The plane was flying at 300ft when it was hit by ground fire shortly after dropping the supplies in the Wesel area, Germany. After being hit, the B-24 nosed straight down into the ground and exploded. Gerrald Crotty and the eight other crew members on board were killed instantly. Awarded the Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters.
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Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 389th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 36840153
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner / Nose Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 389th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33566191
- Highest Rank: Private
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 389th Bomb Group 564th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 34771167
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
Aircraft
Missions
Places
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
10 November 1922 | Santa Paula, California | |
Enlisted |
14 November 1942 | as a Private in the Air Corps, in Los Angeles, California | |
Died |
24 March 1945 | in the crash of B-24 #42-95240, near Wesel, Germany | |
Santa Paula, Ventura County, California | |||
Buried |
Gerrald Crotty rests at Plot F, Row 17, Grave 18 |
Revisions
MACR 13543
NARA WWII Enlistment records
WWII Draft Cards for California
ABMC website
Combat Chronology/Taffy Williams Website / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia